‘Most complex': Inside the 24 hours that brought Qatar airspace to a close
Two days after Qatar Airways was forced to close its major hub airport because of a missile attack, the president of the airline has offered a glimpse of the logistical challenge it faced in the 24-hour period.
Badr Mohammed Al Meer called his Middle Eastern nation's diversions of 100 planes simultaneously that day the 'most complex' in modern history.
It took 24 hours to re-route more than 20,000 passengers aboard 90 flights sent away from Doha in midair. They were diverted just before Iran fired a salvo of missiles into Qatari territory on Tuesday (AEST).
Qatar's synchronised global operation was, 'in an instant, scattered into dozens and dozens of disrupted flight scenarios across continents, each with their own complexities and requirements,' Meer wrote in an open letter.
Travellers 'found themselves caught in the middle of one of the most severe and complex operational challenges in modern aviation history,' he wrote.
Iran targeted the US military presence at Al Udeid Air Base, which sits 33 kilometres west of the main Doha airport, at around 7.45pm on Monday Doha time (2.45am Tuesday AEST).
Of the flights, 25 were diverted to Saudi Arabia, 18 to Turkey, 15 to India, 13 to Oman, and 5 to the United Arab Emirates. The remaining aircraft were re-routed to hubs in London, Barcelona and across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, Qatar said. Qatar Airways operates a fleet of more than 250 planes.
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